Shoe lasting and sewing machine



Aug. 25, 1942. F. E. HIGGINS SHOE LASTING AND SEWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheetl 1942- F. E. HIGGINS 2,293,738

SHOE LASTING AND SEWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Shet 2 1 F T as Q 24 l a0 Patented Aug. 25, 1942 SHOE LASTING AND SEWING MACHINE Frank E. Higgins, Plaistow, N. H., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application August 20, 1941, Serial No. 407,579

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoe lasting and sewing machines of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent to Fredericksen No. 2,246,993, issued June 24, 1941, wherein the marginal portions of a shoe upper and a thin, unchanneled mid-sole are secured together prior to attachment of the outsole. More particularly, the invention is concerned with improvements in machines of this type which are, in addition, arranged to present to the sewing point a welt strip for attachment to the upper along with the lasting and sewing operation, a machine for this purpose being illustrated in the co-pending application of Koloske and Curtin, Seria1 No. 385,124, filed March 25, 1941.

In machines of the type disclosed in the aforesaid patent and application, a lasted shoe upper and a thin, unchanneled mid-sole secured to the tread face of the last are presented to the sewing point so that the projecting margins of the upper and mid-sole are gripped between feeding and tensioning rolls which operate with a continuous bite on the work to draw the parts into gaping tensioned relation adjacent the break line of the last. Upon setting the stitches inserted by the ing point in accurate relation to the needle path,

the welt guiding means being disposed to this end in such close proximity to the sewing point and to the Work as to be actually engaged by the upper during sewing. As a result, although it is contemplated that the work, during feed, be guided and supported against the pull of the tensiom'ng rolls primarily by the work support, nevertheless the work is apt to be drawn against the welt guide with such force as frequently to result in marking the upper. This frictional engagement of welt guide and upper during feed naturally tends to interfere with the proper feeding of the work, and particularly with the drawing of the upper around the last.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide in a shoe sewing and lasting machine arranged to secure an upper to a thin, unchanneled mid-sole welt guiding means for positioning a welt accurately with relation to the needle path without, however, engaging the shoe upper during feed of the work, with consequent danger of marking the same,

With this and other objects in view, a feature of the invention involves the provision in a shoe lasting and sewing machine of welt guiding means arranged to be moved toward and from the work during each stitch forming cycle so as to be out of contact with the upper during feed. More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision in a machine for lasting and sewing an upper to a thin, unchanneled mid-sole and employing a needle actuated to enter and withdraw from the work and tensioning and feeding rolls which operate with a continuous bite on the work to tension the same and to advance the work when the needle is withdrawn from the Work, of welt guiding means for directing a welt to the sewing point, actuated as the needle is withdrawn from the work to move out of contact with the upper during feed of the work.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of the head portion of a shoe lasting and sewing machine,

showing the position of the parts during feed; Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation, partly broken away, of the head portion of the machine, with the needle through the work; and Fig. 3 is a right side detail view adjacent the sewing point showing the position of the parts with the needle in the work and the welt guide in contact with the shoe upper.

The machine in which the invention is embodied is of the type shown in U. S. Letters Patent to Leveque No. 1,864,510, dated June 15, 1932, employing a straight eye pointed needle 8 operating in a vertical path across the face of the feed rolls l0 and I2 by which the work is advanced intermittently past the sewing point. The needle is mounted in a needle bar l4 arranged in the frame of the machine for reciprocation by connections from a crank 16 on shaft It which include bell crank levers 20 and 22 mounted on a common pivot 24 and having their respective downwardly extending arms 26 and 28 locked together by a latch 35]. The rearwardly directed arm 32 of hell crank lever 22 is actuated by connecting rod 3'4 from the crank l6, while the forwardly extending arm 36 of hell crank lever 29 is connected by a short link 38 to a collar 40 clamped to the needle bar, The machine is likewise provided with a rotating loop taker 42 disposed below the work.

To effect the simultaneous lasting and sewing of an upper 44 and a thin unchanneled mid-sole 46 of flexible sheet material secured to the tread face of a last 48, as disclosed in the aforesaid patent to Fredericksen No. 2,246,993, the illustrated machine is provided with a work support 50 shaped to enable the work to be presented to the sewing point tipped at a considerable angle, as shown. The projectin margins of upper and mid-sole are gripped between the rolls Ill and I2 which operate with a continuous bite on the work to draw the upper and mid-sole into gaping and tensioned relation adjacent the break line of the last, the rolls being rotated intermittently whenthe needle is out of the work, to advance the work past the sewing point. Driving connections for said rolls include intermeshing gears 52 and 54 for actuating the upper roll l0, and similar gears 56 and 58 for rotating the lower roll I2.

To enable a welt to be attached to the upper by the same line of stitches by which upper and mid-sole are secured, a welt guide 60 is provided through which is advanced to the sewing point a welt strip 62 having a groove 64 in its flesh surface. The guide 60 is arranged at such an angle that the grain face of the welt lies against and is supported by the upper during sewing, the needle enterin the groove and passing at an angle through the welt from flesh to grain side, as in the Koloske application hereinbefore referred to. The setting of the stitch serves to draw the upper and welt around the break line of the last, causing the welt to assume a position which permits the attachment of an outsole by a conventional outseam.

While the lower edge 65 of the welt guide is smoothly rounded, nevertheless the pressure of the work against the guide, by reason of the pull of the feed rolls in tensioning the upper, would be apt to cause marking of the upper as the work is advanced if the guide were fixed in the position shown in Fig. 3, since the guide is therein illustrated as being in actual contact with the upper. Such close proximity to the sewing point and to the upper is, however, essential at the timethe needle is entering the work, so as to hold the welt in accurate alignment with the needle path. The welt guide is therefore arranged, in accordance with the invention, to be moved during each stitch forming cycle from a position close to and generally in contact with the upper during piercing of the work by the needle, to a position out of contact with the upper while the work is being advanced by the feeding and tensioning rolls.

To this end, the welt guide is carried at the end of an arm 10, stiffened by rib l2, curving downwardly and forwardly toward the sewing point from its point of attachment to a lever 14 at the side of the machine. The lever 14 is mounted for rocking movement in a vertical plane by means of a pivot stud 16 at the right rear of the machine head, a guide block 18 limiting the extent of vertical movement of the forward end of the lever and preventing lateral displacement. The welt guide arm is secured to lever 14 by means of clamping screws 80 which pass through slots 82 in the lever to permit adjustment of the welt guide transversely of the seam line. A tension spring 84 urges the lever in a downward direction, causing the welt guide to bear against the upper, as shown in Fig. 3, when the shoe is held at the proper angle, further downward movement of the guide being limited by engagement of the under side of the lever with the lower end of the guideway slot 85,

The welt guide is raised out of engagement with the upper during feed, as the needle is withdrawn from the work, to permit such feed, by means of a member 88 carried by the lever 12 and extending through a slot 90 in the machine head so as to overlie arm 36 of the bell crank of the needle actuating mechanism. The member 88 is provided with a vertical portion 92 adjustably secured by set screw 94 in a block 96 clamped to the lever 14 by a nut 98. By adjusting the heightwise position of the member 88 in the block, the member may be caused to engage the arm 36 as the needle nears the top of its stroke, with the result that the welt guide is lifted slightly from the surface of the work, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the guide being lowered to the surface of the upper upon the completion of the feeding movement as the needle descends in its work piercing stroke. Further adjustment of the movement of the welt guide is made possible by the provision of a slot H39 in the forward end of the lever 14 which permits the member to be moved towards and from the center of rocking movement of arm 36 and thereby change the ratio between the radial lengths of the two arms 14 and 36 to said member as a consequence of the substantial separation of the respective pivotal centers 24 and 16 of the arm 36 and lever 14.

While the welt guide is thus raised and lowered during each stitch forming cycle, the magnitude of the movement may be slight, since it is only necessary that the guide lift out of contact with the upper while the work is advanced. There is therefore but little disturbance of the position of the welt strip, which is in any event accurately positioned by the guide during the critical time when the needle is descending and piercing the welt and upper, since the guide at such times is as close to the sewing point and upper as possible, being generally in direct contact with the latter. Furthermore, since the support of the guide is derived from a point remote from the sewing point of the machine, maximum visibility with a minimum of interference with the manipulation of the work is afforded by the described arrangement.

Having indicated the nature of the invention. what I claim is:

1. A machine for lasting a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of an unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread surface of a last having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a needle operating in the vicinity of the break line of the last, work tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gaping relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work intermittently past the sewing point, and a welt guide for directing a welt to the sewing point into the needle path, said guide being movable toward and from the upper during each stitch forming cycle.

2. A machine for lasting a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of an unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread surface of a last having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a needle operating in the vicinity of the break line Of the last, work tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gaping relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work intermittently past the sewing point, and a welt guide for directing a welt to the sewing point into the needle path, said guide being positioned in contact with the upper when the work is at rest and out of contact with the upper during feed of the work.

3. A machine for lasting a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of an unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread surface of a last having, in combinatiomstitch forming devices including a needle operating in the victinity of the break line of the last, work tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gaping relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work intermittently past the sewing point, and a welt guide for directing a welt to the sewing point into the needle path, said guide being pivotally mounted for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of feed and arranged to engage the upper yieldingly.

4. A machine for lasting a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of an unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread surface of a last having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a needle operating in the-vicinity of the break line of the last, work tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gaping relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work intermittently past the sewing point, and a welt guide for directing a welt to the sewing point into the needle path, said guide being mounted for movement toward and away from the work and actuated to be out of contact with the upper during feed of the work and in yielding contact with the upper when the work is at rest.

5. A machine for lasting a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of an unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread surface of a last having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a needle operating in the vicinity of the break line of the last, work tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gapin relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work intermittently past the sewing point, and a welt guide for directing a welt to the sewing point into the needle path, said guide being supported in close proximity to the sewing point by connections extending from a point remote from said sewing point and approaching said sewing point from the rear and to one'side thereof.

6. A machine for lasting and sewing a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of a thin unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread face of a last having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a needle and needle actuating mechanism for causing the needle to enter and withdraw from the work along a path in the vicinity of the break line of the last, work. tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gaping relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work past the sewing point when the needle is withdrawn from the work, a welt guide for directing a welt to the sewing point into the needle path, said guide being mounted for movement toward and. away from the upper, and means actuated during each stitch forming cycle and in timed relation to the work entering and withdrawing movements of the needle to move the welt guide away from the upper as the needle is withdrawn from the work and to hold said guide out of contact with the upper while the work is fed.

7. A machine for lasting and sewing a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of a thin unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread face of a last having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a needle and needle actuating mechanism for causing the needle to enter and withdraw from the ,work along a path in the vicinity of the break line of the last, work tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gaping relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work past the sewing point when the needle is withdrawn from the work, a welt guide for directing a welt to the sewing point into the needle path, an arm supporting the guide in close proximity to the sewing point, said arm being mounted to permit movement of the guide toward and away from the shoe upper, and connections between the needle actuating mechanism and said arm for causing the guide to move away from the upper when the needle is with drawn from the Work.

8. A machine for lasting and sewing a shoe upper and attaching the upper and a welt to the marginal portion of a thin unchanneled sole member of relatively flexible material mounted on the tread face of a last having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a needle and needle actuating mechanism comprising a lever rocked to cause the needle to enter and withdraw from the work along a path in the vicinity of the break line of the last, Work tensioning and feeding rolls operating with a continuous bite to draw the upper and the sole member into tensioned gaping relation adjacent the break line of the last in advance of the needle path and for feeding the work past the sewing point when the needle is withdrawn from the work, and welt guiding means including a member having a passage through which a welt is directed to the sewing point into the needle path, an arm supporting the guide member in close proximity to the sewing point, said arm being pivotally mounted for rocking movement in a direction to move the guide into and out of contact with the shoe upper, and means carried by the arm and extending into the plane of movement of the needle actuating lever for engagement therewith upon needle withdrawing movement of the lever to cause the welt guiding member to be moved out of contact with the upper while the work is fed.

FRANK E. HIGGINS. 

